Texas Ranks 7th for Worst Dental Health in 2020

The American Dental Association proclaims February as National Children's Dental Health Month. The month-long campaign spotlights dedicated professionals, providers, and educators to promote the benefits of good oral health to children and those who directly influence their lives and hygiene habits.

WalletHub has released 2020's list of best and worst states for dental health. Surprisingly, the State of Texas ranked 7th from the bottom, just ahead of Alabama, and Louisiana.

Tied for 1st in the category of lowest dental treatment costs, Texas ranked 51st of 51 states (including the District of Columbia) for highest percentage of adults with low life satisfaction due to oral condition.

The states with the best dental health based on the WalletHub methodology are Wisconsin, Illinois, and Minnesota.

According to the personal finance website, the cost of frequent dental checks are worth the trip to avoid expensive procedures due to lack of care. "A checkup costs $90-$137 on average while a filling can go for $230-$313 and a crown typically sets you back over $1,200."

Factors that went into determining the list of best and worst states for dental health range from the share of adolescents who visited a dentist in the past year to dental treatment costs to share of adults with low life satisfaction due to oral condition.

The breakdown for dental health in Texas looks like this:

Dental Health in Texas (1=Best; 25=Avg.):

• 45^th – % Of Adults Who Visited a Dentist in the Past Year
• 34^th – Dentists per Capita
• 23^rd – Sugar-Sweetened Beverage Consumption
• 37^th – % of Adults with Poor or Fair Oral Condition
• 31^st – % of Adults Who Experienced Oral Pain in the Past Year
• 51^st – % of Adults with Low Life Satisfaction Due to Their Oral Condition

For a look at the entire report, including methodology click here.